Masters candidate in Biostatistics, Maria Godinez, will present:

“Novelty Scale Validation for E-cigarettes Messaging Analysis in Middle Schoolers: A Factor Analysis Application”

Plan B Adviser: Ashley Petersen, PhD

Abstract: There have been propositions from youth health advocates to ban flavored e-cigarettes in the United States due to the increasing number of adolescents who have never smoked trying e-cigarette products. However, an overall ban of flavored e-cigarettes may be detrimental as they may potentially aid adults in quitting smoking. Since the early 2000s there is limited research on the health consequences of only e-cigarette adolescent users and the impact that interventional policies would have on youth’s intention to try e-cigarettes in the future. Therefore, this research proposes a novelty scale constructed and validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on a national dataset of middle schoolers. The scale’s construct and criterion validity was vetted using correlation analysis and checked for invariance across age, grade, gender, ethnicity, and race. Ultimately the proposed novelty scale was successfully validated based on the criteria set by domain and statistical knowledge. The novelty scale will serve as an intermediate outcome to measure effects of proposed packaging modifications and regulatory policies on middle schoolers’ intention to try e-cigarettes. A novelty scale will bring clarity to what interventions may be most effective at decreasing e-cigarette initiation and increasing e-cigarette cessation among middle schoolers.